Smita Singh Shines At The Consensual Dispute Resolution Competition 2023
LIVELAW NEWS NETWORK
17 July 2023 12:12 PM IST
The Consensual Dispute Resolution Competition co-sponsored by the International Bar Association (IBA) and the Vienna International Arbitral Centre (VIAC) is an international competition that focuses on alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods. It provides a platform for law students, professionals, and practitioners to showcase their skills in resolving disputes through negotiation, mediation, and other non-adversarial techniques. The competition simulates legal negotiations with the support of a mediator. Students compete against each other by negotiating a series of real world legal problems. The competition is focused on the students’ ability to utilize negotiation and mediation skills and strategies to successfully negotiate or mediate a settlement that best serves the needs of the parties. The simulation consists of a common set of facts known by all participants and confidential information known only to the participants representing a particular side..
The CDRC 2023 took place from 8 to 12 July 2023 in beautiful Vienna, Austria. All the mediating and negotiating participants had three preliminary rounds, immediately followed by a 30-minute feedback session from expert judges. The CDRC case was based on the problem of the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Court Competition, another prestigious international competition for law students.
Ms. Smita Singh from National Law University, Delhi participated in the mediation and negotiation event as a ‘Mediator’ and won the "Most Effective Opening Address" Award.
In her words, the event was an ‘Enriching expedition’. "My journey began on March 2, 2023, when I registered as a 'mediator' participant representing National Law University, Delhi for the prestigious Consensual Dispute Resolution Competition (CDRC) in Vienna. To apply for this Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) competition, I had to share my past experiences and submit a 1-minute video explaining my skills as a mediator. With hundreds of applications expected from all over the world, I was a bit nervous about being selected for the global rounds. However, after waiting for two months, I received an email from the CDRC team informing me that I had been chosen as one of the only 12 mediator participants globally to represent my university at the Juridicum, University of Vienna.
Upon reaching the venue on July 8th, I was warmly greeted by Mr. Thomas John, a prominent figure in the field of Alternate Dispute Resolution and the Director of the CDRC. I had the opportunity to interact with friendly and talented teams. Representing India, there were participants from National Law University, Jodhpur, Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), Sonipat, National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bangalore, and Lloyd Law College, Greater Noida in the 'negotiation' segment.
The organizers ensured that we had enough breaks between rounds to explore the beautiful city of Vienna, which was also ranked first in the 2022 Global Liveability Index by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
Finally, after four days of intense competition and brainstorming, all the teams were invited to the award ceremony at the 'Wiener Rathaus,' also known as the Vienna City Hall. I felt immense pride when my name was announced as the recipient of the "Most Effective Opening Address" award as a mediator. It was truly gratifying to see my university's name displayed on the screen while the hall echoed with applause. Perhaps, I can confidently say that it was a once in a lifetime experience to hone my mediation and negotiation skills, make new friends and explore the beautiful city of Vienna.
Lastly, I would express my gratitude to my seniors, mentors, friends, family, and the university administration for their support throughout the entire process, from registration to the final stage. Their assistance was invaluable. I am also excited about the prospect of encountering similar opportunities in the future and continuing to gain valuable learning experiences."
